My new glad.'s

birthday gift from my mom - definitely a home run. i've been drooling over these for ages. does anyone realize how tough it is to find black sandals that are 1) gladiators and 2) look good on the foot and do not clash with all other clothes? dilemma solved.

enter the jeffrey campbell johnny ex in black snake:
they are $69.95 at Nordstrom and also come in a neutral or brown tone. plus they are all adjustable, the top is rather stretchy, and they are comfy. comfy! i have a keeper.

Oh, to be a sailor...

Everyone has a different "nautical" sailor style - some like the stripes, others go for the Peter Pan collar, and everyone piles on the navy and white. And I love classic nautical, too - there's nothing wrong with a sailor dress and brass buttons. But this is what I'd do:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Glitter Dot Jersey Dress
$298 at shopbop (of course)
(Probably the most wearable dress ever)

Pour La Victoire Dominique Woven Platform Sandal
$226 at shopbop
Marc by Marc Totally Turnlock Teri Bag
$428 at shopbop

ok, this shoe/bag combo is pretty much perfect in my book - similar color range but just off-matching enough that it seems thrown together and not over-analyzed. plus, with the dress it brings an earthy edge.

and the jacket was the hardest part to find. i wanted hot pink, but this bright poppy was the best i could find... alternatively muddy brown patent would be neat. with the dress i think you either go loose/sloppy or structured in a bomber-y way so as to not look too prim-proper-perfect.
Monrow Sweater Jacket
$209 at shopbop

And voilá... edgy sailor, thanks to Marc by Marc. perfect for your summer cruise or just dreaming of the salty seas.

Battle of the Belt/Shoe Combo

OK, so I am guilty of re-wearing. But only a belt and shoe combination! They go together so nicely... I couldn't resist! (Plus, the shoes are my fab brand-new ShopBop finds featured in the earlier CyberTravels installment. They are uber-shiny, pretty comfy, and have garnered quite a few compliments!) The belt was given to me by my mom; she found it in the back of her closet from "30 years ago," she says. It's elastic with little gold and silver metal plates, which match the shoe detail.

Look 1 was executed for a semi-casual dinner out with the 'rents.

Top: (unknown)
Jeans: Sass&Bide
Shoes: Dolce Vita
Belt: vintage

Look 2 was thrown on for a casual shopping/errand-running pleasant afternoon.

Dress: Ella Moss
Cardigan: Michael Stars
Shoes: Dolce Vita
Belt: vintage
Bag: (slightly hidden) vintage Coach

Yay for re-wearing! Which combo do you like best?

Tomorrow at 6:00am I'm off to Maui. Adventure posts forthcoming!

Guess vs. Kors: Battle of Cut-out Wedges!

A friend wore these modern chic shoes to a recent formal event, and I was like, I love!

GUESS by Marciano Savor in Blue Patent
$99.95 at Zappo's

And then I was doing the usual ShopBop browsing ("Neutral Territory: Modern Metallics) and came upon these beauties.

KORS Shoes Danger Metallic Cutout Wedge
$230 at shopbop

And it hit me! Quite a big price difference and the two styles are extremely similar. The Guess ones don't come in silver but we don't always like looking like androids... and electric blue (or hot pink and black - the other options) is so, so major right now.

I am thinking a floaty white dress for the blues, as you cruise through Rome (in a few months). And for the silvers... a killer tan, a jersey LBD, and an oversized neutral clutch. In New York, of course.

Black Pointy Pumps

I could go on for years about wardrobe basics, but basics are... well, they're basically boring.
But not always!
Example: I just purchased a pair of black pointy-toe pumps, and they are the epitome of basic. But! They are not boring! It is partly that they are classically clean, sexily chic, and businessy in the best way. They are fierce. And I mean that in a very non-Top-Model-ish way; I mean it very literally.
My new pair:















Amalfi "Claudia" Pump
$129.95 at Nordstrom
(This picture makes them look so absolutely blah. And maybe they are. They are a basic! But they really do look good on. And these ones are made in Italy... and they will last.)

Another, cheaper, slightly shinier option:






Nine West "Freda" Pump
$49.95 at Nine West stores (sale!)
(These are surprisingly comfortable. But they are made in China! Ergo, the other pair eased my conscience... and will probably last a bit longer. But these are good-lookers.)



The moral of the story: basics are not exciting, but it is so very satisfying to buy a basic that you know will serve you well throughout its lifetime, come trend or high water...

Oh! Flats! And for Spring!

I have a love-hate relationship with flats...
But sometimes they are pretty irresistible. And now they come in colors!
My favorites right now:






On the left, these are Dolce Vita on PiperLime, and they are $100... which is sort of that middle range of I-could-get-heels-but-these-are-just-so-cute. AND they come in raspberry and bright yellow. Sold!

I am seeing them wandering through Switzerland with superdark straight jeans and a clean white tee, or browsing the high-end stores on the cobbled streets of Capri with high-waisted denim shorts and plenty of glitzy necklaces.

On the right - also from PiperLime - are a pair of BCBGirls for $89. Perforations = my favorite form of breathability, ergo these are divine. Imagine lots of white denim in spring in Spain. For now, black rocker skinnies and a colorful scarf will set these off nicely wherever you are...